Ethan sat in his office, surrounded by multiple monitors, each displaying lines of complex code. The only sound in the room was the quiet hum of his computer and the rhythmic tapping of his fingers against the keys. His eyes darted between the screens, scanning the code with precision. He was close, so close to finishing his greatest project yet.

As the number one programmer in the world, Ethan had built a reputation on his genius, his ability to create and manipulate systems in ways that no one else could. But despite his achievements, there was a cold detachment in him. People saw him as a genius, but few realized how little he cared for anything beyond his work. Logic, precision, efficiency, those were his true companions.

Just one more adjustment... Ethan thought, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. One more line, and it's done.

He hit enter. The program executed perfectly, the lines of code falling into place as the system began to run. A brief smile touched his lips, an expression of quiet satisfaction.

But then, everything went dark.

The monitors, the lights, everything blinked out in an instant. For a brief moment, Ethan felt weightless, like he was falling through endless space.

---

When Ethan regained consciousness, he wasn't in his office. In fact, he couldn't move. His entire body felt strange, smaller, confined. He tried to open his eyes, but his vision was blurred, the world around him a swirl of vague shapes and colors. He could hear voices, though they were muffled, as if coming from a great distance.

What's happening? Ethan thought, his mind racing. Where am I?

Suddenly, a new sensation washed over him, a strange warmth, followed by the sensation of being lifted. A voice, soft and filled with affection, spoke words that he could barely comprehend.

"Look at him. He's perfect," the woman's voice cooed.

Ethan, now known as Dark, began to piece together the impossible. His mind was sharp, still intact, but his body... His body wasn't his. It felt frail, new. He realized with a shock that he had been reincarnated.

A baby? I've been reborn as a baby.

More voices joined the first, and Dark felt himself being passed into another person's arms.

"A son, strong and healthy," a man's voice said, filled with pride. "He will carry on our name. Dark Eldarion."

Eldarion? Dark's thoughts churned, processing the information. A noble family?

His body may have been that of a newborn, but his mind was still that of the number one programmer, a man who saw the world through the lens of logic and systems. And now, in this new world, he would start from scratch, just as he had once mastered coding.

The voices continued around him, but Dark's mind had already moved past the shock of his reincarnation. He had a new body, a new life, and, it seemed, a new world.

This world is different, Dark realized. Even as a baby, he could sense something, an energy in the air, something flowing through everything around him. It wasn't electricity or technology. It was something else, something more primal.

Magic.

Dark closed his eyes, allowing his senses to adjust to this new reality. He could feel it now, mana, the life force that filled the air. He couldn't control it yet, but he knew that this energy was something he would need to master if he was going to succeed in this world.

Magic is just another system, he thought. Like coding. It has rules, structure, logic. If I can learn those rules, I can manipulate it, control it.

And so, in that moment, Dark made a vow to himself. This new world, with its magic and mysteries, would become his playground. Just as he had once mastered the digital world, he would master this one.

I have time, he thought, his tiny hands curling into fists. I'll start from nothing, and I'll become something greater than I ever was before.